The present invention relates to UNIX servers, and more particularly to a method and system for allowing an UNIX server, such as an advanced interactive executive (xe2x80x9cAIXxe2x80x9d) UNIX server, to be managed using a standard interface, such as a simple network management protocol (xe2x80x9cSNMPxe2x80x9d) interface.
Conventional UNIX servers, such as an advanced interactive executive (xe2x80x9cALXxe2x80x9d) UNIX servers, are used in a variety of networks. Conventional UNIX servers are adaptable, dynamic, and useful in a variety of applications. These servers are often coupled to a variety of clients via networks or the internet and, therefore, are compatible with standard protocols. Thus, it would be desirable to utilize a standard management application for managing the UNIX server. A standard management application is an application which can manage network devices using a standard transmission control protocol/internet protocol (xe2x80x9cTCP/IPxe2x80x9d). For example, it would be desirable to use a standard management application which utilizes a Simple Network Management Protocol (xe2x80x9cSNMPxe2x80x9d), a widely used network management protocol.
Although most conventional UNIX servers are compatible with SNMP, most conventional UNIX servers are managed using a proprietary management system. For example, an AIX UNIX server utilizes a proprietary Object Data Manager (xe2x80x9cODMxe2x80x9d) for management. The ODM is an object-oriented database containing the information used in configuring the operating system, devices, and software of the conventional AIX UNIX server. In order to configure, troubleshoot, or otherwise manage the conventional UNIX server, commands must be run via the proprietary management system. Without more, standard management applications using SNMP cannot control the conventional UNIX server. Thus, a network administrator or other user who wishes to configure the conventional UNIX server must be acquainted with the proprietary management system of the conventional UNIX server.
To allow management and configuration of the conventional UNIX server by a standards based (or SNMP) management application, an SNMP interface is provided. SNMP interfaces include a database called a management information base (xe2x80x9cMIBxe2x80x9d) that is standard in SNMP. Typically, the MIB for each device includes information regarding that device in the network. The data in the MIB allows an SNMP management application to configure, monitor and troubleshoot the devices. However, because of the dynamic nature of UNIX servers, the configuration of each UNIX server may be unique. Furthermore, as discussed above, conventional mechanisms for managing conventional UNIX servers are proprietary. Therefore, the conventional UNIX servers cannot be managed using only the standard MIB. For example, although the AIX UNIX server is compatible with SNMP, the ODM cannot be used by an SNMP management application because of the AIX UNIX server""s extensible and dynamic nature.
In order to overcome this difficulty, a conventional MIB extension is also provided for the SNMP interface. Thus, the SNMP interface for the UNIX server includes a conventional MIB extension in addition to the MIB. Connection to specific portions of the ODM is provided via specific entries in the MIB extension. Thus, using the MIB extension, an SNMP management application can perform operations on the conventional UNIX server with the SNMP interface. The conventional MIB extension is additional entries to the MIB database. These additional entries include information that is for a particular conventional UNIX server and that falls outside of the standard set of information in the MIB used in SNMP interfaces. Different manufacturers provide conventional UNIX servers that have different capabilities and management schemes. Furthermore, each conventional UNIX server is dynamic and often specific to a particular system. The conventional MIB extension would have to be specific to a particular conventional UNIX server. Because of the conventional MIB extension, the SNMP interface can be used to manage the conventional UNIX server, assuming the MIB was designed to fit the particular conventional UNIX server.
Although the conventional MIB extension can be used to provide an SNMP interface, the conventional MIB extension is limited. The conventional MIB extension is typically written for use with a particular system. Thus, the data contained in the conventional MIB extension would be specific to a particular conventional UNIX server. As a result, the conventional MIB extension generally cannot be used to control a different UNIX server from the same or a different manufacturer because it is virtually impossible to design a conventional MIB extension that will include all possible configuration permutations of a particular UNIX server. A different MIB must be written for each conventional UNIX server. This increases the development time and cost of systems employing conventional UNIX servers that can be controlled using a standard interface.
Accordingly, what is needed is a system and method for providing a mechanism for allowing UNIX servers in a variety of systems to be controlled using an SNMP interface. The present invention addresses such a need.
The present invention provides a method and system for providing a standard interface which allows a server to be configured using a standard protocol. The server includes a proprietary database having a plurality of classes. Each of the plurality of classes is capable of including at least one object instance. The at least one object instance is described by at least one descriptor. The proprietary database is for managing the server. The method and system comprise reading the proprietary database and saving a first plurality of locations of the plurality of classes and a second plurality of locations of the at least one object instance in a standard database accessible using the standard protocol. Via the standard protocol, the standard database can be used to manage the server using the proprietary database.
According to the system and method disclosed herein, the present invention provides a dynamic and adaptable mechanism for allowing a variety of UNIX servers to be managed and configured through a standard protocol. This is accomplished without requiring a management application utilizing the standard protocol to be tailored for a specific UNIX server as long as the management application has knowledge of this process, which is described in the MIB extension.